Closing tool for metal containers



April 7, 1953 J. J. KOJAN 2,634,094

CLOSING TOOL. FOR METAL CONTAINERS Filed March 3, 1948 56.2 @Ysa; l6 s? 17' 2a 40 '42 closing tools for metal containers. ,intended for use in setting ring clamps of the .general character of that disclosed in Patent No. 2,486,565, issued to Leo A. Witucky and myself,

Patented Apr. 7, 1953 CLOSING TOOL FOR METAL CONTAIN John J .;Kojan, Bedford, Ohio, .assignorto .Drum .Parts, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporations)! 'Ohio Application March 3, 194.8,"SerialNo. 12,809

1 Claim. (01'. .254-79) 1 This invention :relates to .improvements in The tool is dated November 1, .1949. In certain respects this invention constitutes an improvement over the closing tool described and claimed in Patent No. 2,555,194, issued May 29, 1951, to the said Witucky and myself.

Due to variations inthe containers and in the rim heads .at the open .ends thereof and due to variations in the cross-sectional dimensions of the gaskets employed for sealing .the containers,

the effective length of the link of the closing toolshould be adjustable inorder that the desired compression of the clamping ring and .gasket may be attained. Heretoforeany adjustment of the length of the link has required at .least partial .disassembly of the link before the adjustment could be effected. The first at- .tempt at adjustment was .not always successful and a second .disassembly, second adjustment and second reconnection were required. This was a time consuming procedure.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of means permitting adjustment of the tool link without disconnecting it from either of its pivots.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means permitting the employment of a link the center line of which is straight and therefore lends itself to the use of a turnbuckle as an adjusting means.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a drum type container with my closing tool mounted thereon and disposed in ring closing position.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the same, a

'fragment only of the drum being shown.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevational view of the closing tool on a larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

and

Fig. 5 is a similar cross-sectional view of the closed container taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1, with the closing tool removed.

In the drawing the open end of a metal drum I0 is shown provided with the conventional rim bead II. A lid [2 having the usual out-turned rim I3 is adaptedtorest upon'the bead H of the drum with a soft rubber gasket [4 interposed. In order to seal 'the drum this gasket must be firmly compressed, and this compression is eifected by a. metal clamping ring which is semi-cylindrical'in cross-se'ctionso that when contracted it exerts pressure-against the under 'sideof'the bead and the upper side o'f'the curved rim [3. r

When the ring I5 has been contracted by the tool of this invention as'hereinafter explained, the ends of the ring must be secured together by suitable means. In the illustrated case lugs 01 brackets having arcuate "portions l6 "and 11 are welded to the ring on opposite sides of the split therein. Lug I6 has a depending loop N3 of cylindrical contour adapted to receive the .shank of a bolt 19 with the head of the bolt xbearing against one side of the loop. The other lug H has a similar loop 20 formed with an extension to provide a housing for a nut 2| which is held thereby against rotation. When the bolt is threaded intothe'nut and drawn up tightly the ends of the ringaresecured together.

The tool of this invention comprises a split ring of channel shaped cross-section, the upper and lower flanges 26 and 2! of the channel being adapted to embrace and engage the ring clamp I5. A plurality of fiat lugs 28 are welded to the upper flange 26 and extend inwardly far enough to support the split ring 25 and hold it in proper relation with the ring clamp 15 when the tool is open and is put in position.

On one side of the split in ring 25 and near that end of the ring twolugs 29 are welded to the ring one above the other in spaced relation. These lugs carry aligned pivots 30, and upon these pivots are mounted bifurcations 3| constituting part of the operating lever of the tool. This lever comprises also a relatively long handle 32 which may be connected with the bifurcations 3| by means of spaced'plates 33, all of these parts of the lever being preferably welded together in order to make a rigid unit.

The lever 3|, 32, 33 is connected with the opposite end of the split ring 25 by an adjustable link. As illustrated herein this link comprises two threaded rods 35 and 36 with eyes at their outer ends, and a turnbuckle 31. A bolt or rivet 34 extendsthrough the eye of rod 35 and through aligned holes in the bifurcations 3|, the eye being spaced evenly from the bifurcations by washers 38. On the right hand side of the split in ring 25, as viewed in the drawing, two lugs 40 are welded to the ring one 3 above the other in spaced relation. Aligned holes are formed in these lugs to receive a bolt or rivet 4| which projects through the eye of rod 36 to form a pivot therefor, the rod 36 being disposed midway between lugs 40 by means of spacing washers 42. The center line of the link 35, 36, 3'! is therefore straight, and being disposed half way between the lugs 29 and the pivots 30 the link is adapted to pass the axis of those pivots as the link swings inwardly when the lever 3|, 32, 33 is moved from inoperative position to the operative position of Fig. 1.

In any given case, if the operation of the lever exerts either too little or too great pressure, the lever may be swung to open position in order to relieve tension on the link, after which the turnbuckle may be turned through a given angle estimated by the operator and the lever again thrown to operative position. If the adjustment thus made proves unsatisfactory a second one will usually correct the difficulty. The connections at the ends of the link are thus undisturbed, and the loss of time avoided.

Aneye-bolt 42 is loosely mounted in the lever. It supports the shank 43 of a socket wrench which includes a rotatable knob 44 and a crank portion 45. Normally the shank 43 rests in a hook 46 that is welded to the lever handle 32. When the bolt I9 is to be tightened the operator lifts the wrench out of the hook 46, swings it around on the eye-bolt 42 to the position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1 and causes the socket to engage the head of the bolt, whereupon the wrench is operated to quickly thread the bolt through the nut 2| to locking position.

It will be noted that in the operative position of the lever illustrated in Fig. 1 the center line of the link passes through the axis of the pivots 30, and hence the strain exerted upon the link by the ring 25 does not tend to open the tool.

When the split ring has been brought to closing position, thereby bringing the ends of the ring clamp [5 close together as illustrated in the drawing, the operator inserts the bolt 19 through the loops l8 and 20 and starts it in the nut 21. He then brings the wrench into operative position and completes the setting of the bolt, after which the lever is swung around to open the tool and the latter is removed and placed on the next drum to be closed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A closing tool for a cylindrical sheet metal container of the type which has an open end. a lid therefor and a ring clamp for locking the lid to the container, said tool comprising a split ring having upper and lower inwardly directed portions adapted to embrace said ring clamp, a pair of brackets on said ring on one side of the split therein, said brackets being spaced apart in a vertical direction transversely of the ring, a. lever having spaced bifurcations at one end thereof embracing said brackets, spaced aligned pivots for connecting said brackets and the bifurcations of said lever and leaving the space between said brackets free, a link one end of which is pivotally connected with the split ring on the opposite side of the split therein, said link extending across said split through the free space between said brackets and pivotally connected at its opposite extremity with said lever at a point spaced from the pivotal mounting of the lever, whereby the link may pass between the brackets as the lever moves from inoperative to operative position, said link being straight and comprising a turnbuckle by means of which its effective length may be adjusted.

JOHN J. KOJAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,146,421 Funk July 13, 1915 1,226,911 Heisenberg May 22, 1917 1,227,011 Snyder May 22, 1917 1,357,154 Diem Oct. 26, 1920 1,598,561 Coomer Aug. 31, 1926 1,972,346 Juline Sept. 4, 1934 2,555,194 Kojan et a1 May 29, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 122,416 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1927 

